Methanol dehydration in NaA zeolite membrane reactor

• Thermally stable NaA zeolite membranes were synthesized on metal–ceramic support.
• Separation properties were studied in the range of 150–250 °C.
• Water/methanol separation is governed mainly by adsorption equilibrium.
• Methanol dehydration was studied in membrane reactor.
• Methanol conversion was improved due to water elimination by NaA zeolite membranes.

Catalytic dehydration of methanol was studied in a reactor with inert, selectively permeable walls made of NaA zeolite membranes. Zeolite layer was synthesized on the flat metal–ceramic support by the in situ crystallization method resulting in selective and thermally resistant membrane. The separation factor of the model water/methanol mixture in the temperature range of 150–250 °C varied from 22 to 5 and the permeate flux of 0.6 kg h−1 m−2 was reached. Dehydration of methanol to dimethyl ether was carried out in flow mode in the membrane reactor, using γ-alumina catalyst. The effect of temperature, WHSV, feed pressure and flow rate of a sweep gas on methanol conversion was analyzed. The maximal conversion reached in the zeolite membrane reactor (ZMR) at 250 °C was 88% which is higher than in a conventional reactor by 8%.